All About Vanilla

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By peace | December 8, 2006

Vanilla originated in Mexico, where the Aztecs used it to accent the flavor of chocolate drinks. The Mexican emperor, Montezuma, introduced Vanilla to the Spanish explorer Cortez, who brought it to Europe in the 16th century. The drink, made with Vanilla pods and cacao beans, became popular among the aristocracy in Europe. In 1602, a chemist for Queen Elizabeth I suggested that Vanilla could be used alone as a flavoring.

Vanilla is a flavouring derived from orchids in the genus Vanilla. The name came from the Spanish word “vainilla”, diminutive form of “vaina” (meaning “sheath”), which is in turn derived from Latin “vagina”

White Vanilla By Renate Holzner

Vanilla is a vine: it grows by climbing over some existing tree, pole, or other support. It can be grown in a wood (on trees), in a plantation (on trees or poles), or in a “shader”, in increasing orders of productivity. Left alone, it will grow as high as possible on the support, with few flowers.

The main species harvested for vanillin is Vanilla planifolia. It is a native of Mexico, though it is now widely grown throughout the tropics. Madagascar is the world’s largest producer. Additional sources include Vanilla pompona and Vanilla tahitiensis (grown in Tahiti).

Vanilla has many uses. Being the most popular flavorings in the world, it is used in flavoring most desserts, including ice cream, custard, cake, candy, and pudding. Vanilla is also used to enhance the flavor of beverages and sauces. Not only can it do wonders for most foods and beverages, it is also very useful in calming our minds and bodies and helping us to feel good.

Some of the uses of vanilla are:
1. Antacid
Add a few drops to pineapple, fruit salads, or sauces containing citrus, to soften the sharpness and give it extra sweetening. Put a little vanilla in tomato sauces to neutralize the acidity. When your stomach is upset, the addition of pure vanilla to mineral water or apple juice can help.

2. Enhancer
Vanilla flavour is detectable in many chocolate and confectionery items and several liqueurs such as Crème de Cacao and Galliano. Vanilla extract is made by percolating alcohol and water through chopped, cured beans. Vanilla extract is very powerful, a few drops sufficing for most uses. Vanilla’s mellow fragrance enhances a variety of sweet dishes: puddings, cakes, custards, creams, soufflés and, of course, ice cream. Classic examples include crème caramel, peach Melba and apple Charlotte.

3. Emulsifier
Add vanilla extract to egg batters (sweet or savory), waffle or pancake mix, baked goods, or cream sauces to smooth and blend overpowering flavors.

4. Natural Sweetener
Add a few drops of vanilla to vegetables, sweet potatoes, and salad dressings. It increases the natural sweetness of vegetables and provides a delicate, subtle flavor to salads.

5. Hot food relief
Some people find that after burning your tongue on a too-hot cup of coffee or pizza, or eating hot, spicy foods like chilies, a few drops of vanilla placed on the tongue provides a soothing remedy.

6. Spider repellent
By adding one or two vanilla beans to your furniture polish and using it on the top and underside of your furniture, you can help keep spiders away.

7. Fishing aid
Experienced fishermen often rub vanilla on their hands before handling their line to disguise their scent.

8. Medicinal
The warm and comforting aroma of vanilla has long been a favorite aroma in the cosmetic industry. Aromatherapists use it to create a relaxed, euphoric mood and to counteract tension, frustration and irritability. The sweet, exotic aroma is also associated with sensuality and confidence. It is undeniably a familiar and comforting scent that most men and women find pleasant.

In old medicinal literature, vanilla is described as an aphrodisiac and a remedy for fevers, but these purported uses have never been scientifically proven. But studies at the Smell and Taste Treatment and Research Foundation in Chicago have indicated that vanilla can both promote sexual arousal in men and also help people fall asleep faster and more quickly into the REM or dream state.

Vanilla Bean By Sondra Wampler

The vanilla pods (beans) have no flavour when picked, as the flavour develops during the curing process. The pods take about nine months to mature and are harvested when the tips begin to turn from yellow. Until recently, the curing process was long and complicated. The beans are first wrapped and subjected to high temperature and humidity to ‘kill’ the vegetative life. The next process involves alternate drying in the sun by day and sweating by night for several days. At this point the beans are dark, oily and pliable and are then slowly dried in the shade for up to two months. They are then sorted and graded and placed in chests for a further conditioning period of one or two months.

Vanilla can be purchased in a variety of forms for culinary use — beans, powder, extracts and flavours. Vanillin is a key flavor component of vanilla. In good quality vanilla, the level of vanillin is measured to make sure it is present at a high enough quantity, but a synthetic vanilla based just on vanillin will have an insipid and thin taste, even if natural vanillin is used in it’s manufacture.

The flavor of true vanilla is the result of a complex mixture of flavour and fragrance constituents. Pure vanilla is expensive. In order to make the product (or something like the product) more affordable, imitation vanilla was developed. Imitation vanilla is made from artificial flavourings.

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